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Why do chickens molt? What’s the point of losing all those feathers just so they can replace them with more feathers? Why does it happen? What triggers it? Does it hurt? How can you help your hens through the process?
I’ve been writing this blog about chickens for ten years, folks! How crazy is that?!
What is this strange condition that turns a normally mild-mannered hen into an angry bird?
If you’re ever in Minneapolis, you must find your way to the Walker Art Center Sculpture Garden so you can view and appreciate Hahn/Cock—the giant blue rooster!
Telemedicine for chickens has arrived. For backyard chicken keepers, this is an important breakthrough. When a hen falls ill, it adds another possibility to the checklist of options for diagnosis and treatment. And for those living in areas without access to local poultry vets, it provides something even more valuable—an option where there were no options at all.
Once again, as I’ve done for any number of years, I’ve read a plethora of chicken-themed books, narrowed those books down to a few favorites, and penned a review of each. If you decide to go looking for any of these books, you need not look any further than your local bookseller. If they’re not on the shelves, your bookseller will happily order them for you!
After you’ve read Gail Damerow’s The Chicken Encyclopedia cover to cover for entertainment and knowledge, I suggest you keep at close at hand for reference.
Chickens, like people, are social animals. And, just as introducing new people goes more smoothly when rules of etiquette are followed, chicken introductions work better if you have some rules in place. Here are six rules and strategies for introducing new chickens.
Are our backyard flocks at risk? How can we protect them? If my flock becomes infected, what should I do? And what about people? Are we in danger of this bug infecting us?
“What, exactly, is bird flu? Are my chickens in danger? How can I protect them? Am I in danger? If I am, how should I protect myself? Why do we keep having new epidemics? Is there something wrong with the way they’re trying to stop it? There’s talk of a new approach to controlling it—how’s that going?
What’s up with the ridiculously high cost of eggs? Simple. It’s bird flu. Well…maybe it’s not so simple. Let me explain…
An interview with Anita Sachlikidis, author of the Archie and the Accidental Chicken Heroes series.
Is this line drawing of a chicken found recently at a Minneapolis garage sale a lost Picasso? This April 1 post tells all.
Chickens, and all other species of animals that live in social groups have a dominance hierarchy—a pecking order. How do individual members of a flock figure out the pecking order? How does the pecking order work? What can you do when the pecking order in your flock gets completely out of whack?
Sulfur shelf mushrooms (aka chicken of the woods) thrive in my woods and in forested areas across much of the United States and beyond. And they are delicious! With its savory profile, chicken of the woods can easily stand in for chicken in a variety of recipes, adding depth and heartiness to any dish. It goes without saying that chickens everywhere support this substitution!
This year, as always, I’ve read a whole stack of books with a chicken theme or connection. As is my tradition, I’ve narrowed down that stack to a short list of favorites. Here’s the list along with some commentary. If you chose to move any of these gems onto your reading list, don’t forget to look for them at your local bookseller. If they’re not on the shelves, your bookseller will happily order them for you!
Do your chickens have worms? If you keep multiple generations of chickens on the same plot of ground for a number of years, like we backyard flock-keepers do, then yes. Your chickens are probably harboring worms. What should you do?
Q: Why did the chicken tell an entire ridiculous elephant joke to the very end? A: To get to the other side.
You’ve probably heard it more than once: “The chicken is the closest living relative to T. rex.” And, sorry, but that is a misleading statement. Birds are the closest living relative to T. rex. All birds. Not just chickens. Birds. How did this crazy half-truth got started in the first place? I tell the whole tale right here.
